


I see Death and She sees Me

by AvyPatty



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Consequences, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, Hurt Tony Stark, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Lack of Communication, Mention of Suicide Attempt, No Arc Reactor, Not Beta Read, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Team Issues, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000, mental manipulation, wrote in one go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:35:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25871476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvyPatty/pseuds/AvyPatty
Summary: Tony knew that his involvement in developing Ultron did not just stop at research. He knew that there was something else, something more. It was not just the Scepter, either, or even Wanda. It was something far worse. It terrified him and he couldn't keep it hidden anymore. For the first time, he could finally tell his teammates of the vision, the knowledge he is cursed with.
Relationships: Clint Barton & Natasha Romanov, Clint Barton & Wanda Maximoff, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Comments: 5
Kudos: 77





	I see Death and She sees Me

**Author's Note:**

> This story is inspired by the sentence "I see Death- every time I close my eyes." Which is me being dramatic because I usually dream of dead being, or people dying or death in general. It fascinates me. I'm weird and I accepted that. Tony on the other hand didn't. Also I hate the fact that the creation of Ultron was never properly explained in the MCU. Anyways, this is unbeta'ed and English is not my first language so you will stumble upon a mistake or two. Sorry in advance. I'd appreciated it immensely if you pointed them out, though, so I can correct them. All types of criticism are welcomed. Hope you enjoy this very dark and gloomy ride.

The head of Tony’s personal legal team was currently sitting right across from Tony on the conference table in room 12. She had spent the better part of an hour spelling out how much it was not okay to have any of the Avengers incriminated for the whole Super Murder Bot thing. She even drew a very lovely, very descriptive image of the jail they would be thrown into if it came to light that anyone was directly and knowingly involved in creating an advanced artificial intelligence hell-bent on causing the extinction of the human race.

The team was adequately scared of the consequences and was finally coming to realize the magnitude of the shithole they have been thrown into but in a sort of distant way. They didn’t think that they were at fault here. They thought it all fell on Tony’s and Bruce’s shoulders, maybe distantly at the Witch’s as well. Tony entertained the idea of just dismissing everyone except Bruce and him but he knew, even if the others denied it, that they were all tied up in this together to the public eye. He heard Pepper’s voice in the back of his head shrieking in horror as the stocks plummeted and almost cringed. The whole of the Avengers may not be fully involved in this but Tony knew that SI and him personally were going to be getting hit the hardest. After all he was the most public figure of them all. Rhodey came as a close second with his connection to the army but Rhodey was unaware of the creation of Ultron and during the final battle he came in with a direct order from the brass. No one could blame him for anything. He was protected.

The Avengers on the other hand did not have the government’s backing and the US was hesitant to throw up shields around after they were essentially hated by the entire world right now. Tony’s personal legal team, however, were really good at what they did. Tony knew that they will get out of this scout-free eventually and he kind of wanted to throw up in disgust. He powered through with an air of dissociated nonchalance that has been his companion for quite a while now.

Tony let his gaze trail over the Witch for a moment before he looked back at Ms. Hanna Depraki, a fierce 5'3" dark haired woman that had gotten Tony out of more legal shit than he can care to count, as she was stressing the importance of this meeting. She had all the Avengers cowering under her authority while she was reprimanding them like misbehaving schoolboys and girls at the principal’s office.

And with that thought in mind Tony leaned back in his chair. "Friday?" Tony interrupted Depraki mid-sentence. She glared at him but allowed the interruption because everyone who works directly for him knows the best way to maintain his attention is to allow for his focus to weaver from time to time. Not that Tony wasn't paying her attention. People seem to always disregard the fact that he can think about more than one thing at any given time without losing tract of any of this thoughts.

Tony heard a sound that suspiciously sounded like Rhodey's mumble in the back of his mind ' _rude, Tones_ '.

"Yes, Boss?" The ever dutiful A.I answered readily.

"Let's double Ms. Depraki's next paycheck, shall we?"

"Consider it done, Boss"

Depraki blinked at him in surprise at the sudden, seemingly unjustified action. Tony just winked at her and continued on tapping his fingers to a patterned not even him could discern against his thigh. Barton snorted, probably at the extravagant way of how Tony spent money. They have had that discussion before. Clint came from a very poor family, Tony could understand his concerns. Didn't mean he had to pay them any attention but he could understand them. After all, Tony doesn't hear many complaints from the archer regarding the luxurious life Tony spread out for him and the rest of the team in the tower.

Depraki cleared her throat. "Thank you, Mr. Stark." And she did sound genuinely thankful so Tony gave her a small nod in acknowledgement. "As I was saying it is very important that you tell me the truth, the full truth, so that we can prepare together how we are going to spin this. Surprises in legal matters can lead to jail sentences and I'm sure none of you want that, right?" She gave the whole team a very stern once over.

Tony pictured an animated version of the team with them being one foot tall and Depraki towering over them with a spatula in hand and an apron around her slim waist, a bubble popping up by her head with the words "you have been very bad lately." Tony bit on the inside of his mouth so he wouldn't smile.

"Yes, ma'am." Their ever righteous leader agreed. "This will be an opportunity for a debrief as well. We'll all tell the truth of our involvement in the Ultron debacle."

Tony felt his gaze sweep over Bruce and then him. Bruce looked down with pursed lips, chastened. Tony looked up at Steve and held his gaze. He took a certain level of enjoyment from the hardening of Steve's stare.

' _Play nice_ ' Tony heard Rhodey's voice again in his mind this time long suffering but affectionate. Ahh, how much he missed his staring contests with his best friend. The good old days when they both had the time to just relax together.  
  
As if he wanted to say that exactly, Rhodey nudged his foot under the table gently as he leaned forward to cut the field of vision between the two and stop silent pissing match. "Alright, where would you like us to start, Ms. Depraki?" He asked.  
  
"The very beginning, please."

"We were looking for Loki's missing Scepter." Nat started. "Tony and Bruce were working on an algorithm similar to the one they created during the New York invasion to pinpoint its location." Nat paused and looked at Bruce and him for confirmation. They both nodded. "Hydra moved it around a lot for that exact reason but we finally managed to get there before they could relocate. The battle in Sekovia was very straight forward, infiltrate and retrieve."  
  
"Did you clear your intentions with the government there beforehand?" Depraki interrupted.  
  
Steve was the one who replied. "No, we didn't want to tip the wrong person off and have the Scepter moved before we could reach it again." Depraki pursed her lips at that with a frown between her brows. "But we cleared it with the local police once we were in position close enough to the base to intercept any ongoing or outgoing traffic."  
  
Depraki tapped her pen on her notepad in quick succession. Tony knew she did that move only when she was trying to find a way to call the person in front of her a mindless idiot without outright saying it. He has been on the receiving end of that small inconspicuous action enough times in his life to come to terms with its actual meaning.  
  
"The local police don't have the authority to give a permit for noncitizens to fight on foreign lands. At the very least the American Embassy should have been involved, if not the Sekovian government itself."  
  
"With all due respect, ma'am, this is how we perform. All the countries we helped are aware of the importance of secrecy when it comes to the ops we run." Steve had the look on his eyes that gave off the impression that he was talking in laymen terms for someone who he knew could not grasp the full concept due to their limited knowledge.  
  
'Wrong move, Cap' Tony thought to himself as he saw Depraki raise a perfectly plucked eyebrow, the pen tapping grew slightly more aggressive.  
  
"Do you have that consent in writing, Captain? On recording even? Anything that can hold up in a court of law except for your word which, as truthful as it may be, is absolutely useless in front of a judge?"  
  
Steve's features clenched up in his trade mark 'I can do this all day' shtick. Tony decided to spare Depraki the headache and stepped in before Steve can continue. "The one we cleared it with is Lieutenant Gerard Lebedev. He doesn't exactly have the clearance to give us the go ahead but I have his consent in the suit's recording. If it came down to it we can point fingers. Not ideal, I know, but it won't give someone of your caliper too much trouble, I assume."  
  
Depraki didn't exactly look happy about it but she nodded, knowing when to compromise. "I'll need to look over that recording and have a copy saved just in case."  
  
"Of course. Friday." Tony prompted.  
  
"A recording of the aforementioned encounter has been trimmed and sent to your phone."  
  
Depraki used to Tony's A.ls by now thanked Friday directly before waving Nat on to continue with her recounting.  
  
"There was some fight back from Hydra. Nothing we couldn't take care of but it was just enough to injure one of our own." Nat nodded at Clint who tipped his head in acknowledgement and then threw an arm around the back of Maximoff's chair when she looked down, knowing who exactly was the reason behind that injury. "There was however a force field around the base and no one could penetrate it." Nat then paused and looked at him.  
  
Tony took the cue "I won't bore you with the science." Tony was aware how much Depraki hated it when he went on scientific tangents. She allowed him a small smile. He returned it and with this small act steeled his voice for what is to come. "I had JARVIS do his thing and we found a weak spot." He didn't stumble over the name and he was kind of proud of himself in a way but also hated himself a little bit for it. He felt a familiar foot nudge his under the table again but he focused all his attention on Depraki, on the story, not the words he was saying. "We exploited it until it caved in on itself. I was first in followed by the dear Captain over there. Clint, Nat, Thor and Hulk were holding the fort outside. I searched the base for the Scepter and found it in a hidden room." He slowed the tapping of his fingers down until he had his hand flat on his thigh. He kept his gaze firmly on Depraki and didn't let it stray to anyone else. "I was shown a vision of the future for earth. A vision I first saw when i was on the wrong side of the New York portal." Tony slowly restarted the inaudible tapping of his fingers again. It was strangely grounding. This is something that he has never mentioned before. Not to anyone in the room at least. He felt a pang in his chest at the loss of the closest thing he had to a lifelong partner, an A.I that knew all of his secrets and then some. He didn't know why he was telling the team this. He knew that this would be the last chance he had for them to believe him, though. He didn't really believe they would but he couldn't let the opportunity pass either. Something was coming for earth. He knew it. Also the fact that he suspected that Vision was aware of his full involvement in the development of Ultron which admittedly surpassed Bruce’s.  
  
Depraki, entranced, wetted her lips. "And what was the vision, Mr. Stark?" Tony realized that she was just a civilian scared of a reality full of aliens and Murderbots but still powering through by her sole morbid curiosity. Tony suddenly felt a strange kinship towards her. He closed his eyes and described his darkest nightmare.  
  
"Earth in ruin. Everyone dead. Weapons I've never seen before littering the quaked grounds. Silence. Darkness. Distant stars. Not our stars. Not from our reality at least. Everyone dead." He couldn't help but repeat. The room was eerily silent around him. He hated it. Hated the silence with a passion he didn't know he was capable of. "Everyone but me." He opened his eyes but kept his gaze firmly on Depraki. "And him." Depraki was pale. The make-up on her face not enough to hide her terror. Her eyes were wild with fear and Tony thought with sick satisfaction, finally someone who _understands_.  
  
"Who?" She asked. Her voice shook and it was nothing but a whisper but it resonated in the room. Tony bared his teeth in resemblance of something that could have been a smile but wasn't and looked down at his still tapping fingers with inexplicable fascination.  
  
"I don't know his name but he knows mine. Said I'm cursed with knowledge just like him." He forced his fingers to stop and shoved his hand in his pocket. "One thing I know, though, is that he courts Lady Death." He couldn't help but close his eyes again. He distantly knew that his body was shaking, fine tremors of unadulterated fear. His voice was steady though. It was as if it was entirely detached from his body. His voice took on a reverent tone. "She was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." If he concentrated enough he could see her. Picture her ghostly gown and childlike attitude, her cheerful grin and unseeing eyes. "She was dancing around the Chitauri bodies. Millions of them. Engulfed in the flames of the nuke. And everywhere I looked-” He stopped and licked his lips, letting out a shudder. “Everywhere I looked she looked right back at me. She saw me. She saw earth and she wouldn’t look away.” He felt his lips twitch upward. “She was singing my name." He felt his fingers twitch over his pocket and nothing else. He realized he couldn't feel his body, couldn't feel anything so he opened his eyes again, saw her standing behind Depraki. His breath hitched but he kept his gaze firmly on Depraki instead. _She wasn’t there. She wasn’t there yet._ He chanted to himself.

He heard someone calling his name softly to his left but he kept his gaze firmly to the front. Depraki's hands were shaking. The sweat contrasted beautifully with her dark skin. Tony traced the path of a droplet as it fell from his temple down to her chin and then onto the notepad. It got absorbed by the flimsy piece of paper.  
  
"I need a minute" she requested and someone told her to take all the time needed but he couldn't tell who. When she rushed out of the room, she took with her Tony's single-minded concentration. He was suddenly bombarded with sensory overload and he became painfully aware of his own sweat covering every inch of his body. He was still shivering, minutely.  
  
He rubbed at his forehead. The headache that assaulted him gave no prior warnings. His hands strangely enough were not shaking but he could still hear his heart hammering behind his rib cage.  
  
"-didn't say anything about this?" Someone was saying and Tony tried to force his brain to get back to the here and now. He was very, very careful not to look in the Witch's direction.  
  
"I don't know why I'm saying anything now" it wasn't exactly the correct answer. Tony knew that but he couldn't bring himself to care. He knew why he was saying that now. He knew exactly why and part of the reason was sitting barely three feet away from him. He needed to organize his thoughts and do it soon, he told his unresponsive brain.  
  
"You can't just keep something like this from the team, Tony." It was Steve. He was the one talking. Tony let himself look at him and for some reason it also brought to his attention another sensation. Rhodey had his knee in a vice grip and Tony relaxed in his chair that tiny bit more before he remembered his best friend's unseeing gaze, with the arc reactor dead and the suit crushing his body. He snatched his hand out of his pocket and grasped Rhodey's in a jerky motion that probably gave them away. He didn't care. Rhodey held on back to him with as much strength as Tony was holding his hand.  
  
"I couldn't talk about it. I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen." His stupid neck moved on its own accord and he found himself staring at strawberry blond hair and dark eyes. "Guess a little mind-raping was what was needed to jog the vision to the forefront of my mind." Another thing that he hadn’t mentioned to the team but he was sure that Fury had said something or another to the spy twins at least.  
  
Before anyone could say anything, Depraki walked back into the room.  
  
"I'm sorry. That was unprofessional. You didn't need to hear that." Tony apologized the moment she sat down. He really shouldn't have done that to a civilian, strong woman or not, she didn't need to carry around the nightmares that plagued him.  
  
Depraki cleared her throat. "No. This could be useful in court." She paused and cleared her throat again. "This.. vision.. you said you had it the first time when you went through the portal." Tony nodded. "Is it reoccurring?" Tony shook his head. "So it only happened the twice and both times you were in close proximity to Loki's Scepter, could it be it that is causing those visions?"  
  
Tony felt his lips twitch and his saw the Witch stiffen in his peripheral vision. "Must've been" he allowed cryptically. He felt the hand in his tighten slightly but that was the only reaction his words garnered. That and Bruce's sudden forcefully paced breathing. Tony leaned back in his chair, letting his shoulder brush Bruce's. Bruce didn't pull away. Tony counted it as a win.  
  
Depraki nodded. "Alright we can definitely use that but do you happen to have solid proof by any chance or did anyone experience the same thing because we really don't want to bleed mental insanity here."  
  
"My heart stopped for exactly 60 seconds on both occasions. I wasn't dead. There was brain activity but my heart wasn't beating. For all intents and purposes I should have at least suffered minimal brain damage but after all physical evidences disappear. I have the suit's readings to prove it, though, but I'd rather not share that if we can help it."  
  
"I saw him, too" Clint forced the words out and when Tony's head snapped in his direction Clint was staring at Nat who was looking back at him with a steady but concerned gaze. "When Loki did his tap thingy." He gritted his teeth around the name, spitting it out like it was a curse. Thor looked down at the table but didn't intervene. "Purple skin. Ten feet tall. Blue eyes. Very alien." Clint looked at him for confirmation and Tony with wide eyes slowly nodded. Clint returned the nod sharply. "He promised us knowledge." He swallowed hard. "I couldn't not chase it. It was addictive. It was everything." His voice broke on the last word and he gave Tony a small sad smile. "If you have that. If you're cursed with knowledge then I don't envy you. It didn't sound exactly pleasant."  
  
"You lot really need a better form of communication." Rhodey mumbled from beside him, his hand staying firmly in his even when Tony's grip went a bit lax.  
  
"Alright this is definitely terrifying" Depraki's hands twitched on the table but she was holding her head up defiantly "But it can be linked to the creation of Ultron. We will have to bleed mental control, though. And that" Depraki paused for a moment. “There are a lot of people who might fear you brain falling under the control of the wrong people, Mr. Stark.”

 _And isn’t that the whole issue_ , Tony thought darkly.  
  
Bruce apparently needing to talk, took over from Nat in recounting the story, probably trying to fit around a whole image and not paying attention what Depraki just said. "Tony kept informing us of an eminent threat since New York." Bruce looked to him ruefully but didn't meet his eyes. "Him and I were working on something more sentient than an A.I. A program that can protect the earth, pinpoint threats and eliminate it without the need of human guidance or pre-set parameters. Something that did not need rest and was always vigilant. Ultron. We were basing it off of JARVIS." Bruce looked away from Tony as he said the name. And for some irrational reason it angered him. "When we retrieved the Scepter, Tony suggested that we harness its power to supply Ultron." He took of his glasses and started to clean them with his shirt. "We had the building blocks ready for the A.I but we didn't know how to integrate JARVIS' code into it while making him sentient at the same time."  
  
Tony should leave it at that. He really should but it was a tell-all-your-secrets day apparently and with Vision shifting his body language to let the others know he'd like to speak Tony knew that the Android was too objective. He wouldn't lie if asked outright. He wouldn’t be malicious about it but he also doesn't know the full reason behind Tony's decisions.  
  
"There was a program." Tony spoke up. "Another one." He corrected and saw several heads snap up to attention. "I created it after New York." He let the hand that was not preoccupied run once through his hair. "An A.I that was tasked to eliminate me in case I was ever compromised." The tapping started again when his hand reached his thigh. Tony glared at his fingers willed them to stop but they didn't obey. "Loki tried to recruit me during the invasion when I met up with him in the tower. To stall him." He heard more than one gasp fill in the room and his lips twitched in a distasteful grimace. "Yeah, exactly." He allowed. "Couldn't do it, though. I had three inches of Starkium between the Scepter and my heart." Even though he had removed the Reactor, his chest still ached in memory. "Don't know if it was that or the Scepter just rejected me. Loki was confused, too."  
  
"I don't believe it was solely the Reactor." Vision spoke up for the first time. He tapped the stone impeded in his forehead lightly. "You feel different. From the rest." He explained.  
  
"Right" Tony let go of Rhodey's hand and clenched both of his before shoving them in his pants pockets. _Well, there's that_ , he thought with a particular self-loathing snarl.  
  
"How different?" It was Steve who asked, he sounded tense and looked even more on edge. He wasn’t the only one. _Can’t blame them, now, can we?_ _  
_  
Vision frowned in thought. "Hallow. Empty. Gone. Not unlike the dead bodies that were left in Sekovia. The metal ones." He clarified and with every word Tony clenched his fists harder until his nails were digging sharply in his palm. _Will you look at that, he was right after all_. He had to fight against the urge to laugh hysterically. "I thought it was part of the reason why Ultron hated you most." Vision continued in the silence that followed.  
  
Right, _part of it_. Tony had more explaining to do. He'll deal with what Vision said later. He'll do something. He didn't know what yet but he had a number of tests in mind that he needed to run. He continued as if he had never been interrupted, his tone slightly monotonous but mostly falsely breezy. "So I created an A.I that would take me out in case I ever fell under any form of mind manipulation. I think." He stops for a moment to take a breath. "I didn't know why I was the last one standing in the vision but there was not many options left if you take out mind control. At least I hope there aren’t." He pulled one hand out of his pocket and his fingers started to tap on the table in front of him. He screamed at them in his mind to stop but they still wouldn't listen.

He looked up at Vision and the Android stared back in an unnerving manner. "JOCASTA" Vision said and Tony nodded, his fingers _still fucking tapping away_. "I accessed it every time Bruce took a break." At this Bruce looked up, Tony didn't look at him. "I don't remember how or why. I wasn't supposed to be able to access it. I had JARVIS change the access code right after I was done creating it. JARVIS knew better than to allow me access."  
  
"Could you have hacked into it?" Bruce postulated.  
  
"JOCASTA would have recognized me. JARVIS had eyes on me, he would have known. He would have stopped me. He had strict orders to give the activation codes to Rhodey and Pepper in case of something like this. There was no way in hell I would have accessed it while I was in full control of my mind. _He should have stopped me_." Tony knew that his tone was growing more desperate with every word but he couldn't help it. Rhodey exhaled sharply at the confession but didn't speak up.  
  
"Because you tricked him" Vision concluded. Tony looked back at him, wide eyed and desperate. "You accessed JOCASTA but not to activate it or alter its code. You accessed it to integrate it into Ultron's primary protocol. You didn’t trip over the wire, you merely displaced it. And JARVIS knowing that you were creating Ultron to save earth from all threats it might encounter, did not find it strange that you would want earth save from even yourself." Tony closed his eyes for a moment at the words, absorbing them. He felt strangely detached from the situation. "I know not how you gave him such impression but I know that you did. I believe that you were not acting of your own violation but you were still exploiting a loophole. Something," Vision glanced at the Witch before he looked back at Tony, but just like Tony, he didn’t give her away. "was compelling you to create Ultron and to do it fast because you might not have the chance to do so later on. However some part of your brain knew that you and Dr. Banner were not the only players in the game. So I assume your plan was if you could not directly activate JOCASTA, then you would let Ultron do it." Tony blinked hard as Vision's final words spilled out in the room. "After all if you were being controlled then Ultron would finish the job and if you are dead then you won't be the last one standing when all else have perished. Vision altered, earth saved."  
  
Vision turned to Depraki "I do not believe that Dr. Banner has done any wrong doing. To the extent of his knowledge, the base code they were working on was to build a sentinel being capable of protected the earth. I have video footage to prove that." Tony was glad that this was at least some guilt being taken off of Bruce's shoulders. "And as far as Mr. Stark is concerned he was merely creating a very advanced weapon to kill himself with because he was aware to a degree that he was being controlled, somehow, and that was the only option he could find that would allow him to protect humanity from his own mind. I also have video footage to prove that as well. If not recognizable physical features then the fact that Mr. Stark worked non-stop for the three days that it took for Dr. Banner and him to work on Ultron. I believe humans are incapable of such feats without the aid of outside substances or at least micro intervals of sleep. Mr. Stark’s documented brain wave activity indicates unwavering state of alert for 84 hours." The tapping of his fingers stopped. He gritted his teeth against a surge of inexplicable rage.  
  
"As for Ultron himself, I believe he had two conflicting primary codes. One said to protect humanity and the other said to kill Mr. Stark any way possible. I believe those two codes along with the alien sentience of the Scepter merged all together to produce a Robot hell-bent on killing Mr. Stark along with his protectors." Vision nodded to the rest of the Avengers. "And to force humanity to evolve to the hollowness that is Mr. Stark so that the Scepter can reject them as well as it did him. Because if Mr. Stark can look Death in the eye and survive then surely the rest can as well if they became like him.” He paused slightly “Mr. Stark does feel strangely soothing to me. He is void"  
  
"Of what?" Clint asked but he was looking at Tony and not Vision. His expression unreadable not that Tony wanted to be able to read any expressions right now. The disgust he felt with himself was enough to choke him. On the outside he was calm, serene even. He hated it.  
  
"Of life" Vision answered after he tapped the stone again.  
  
"She was so beautiful" Tony laughed and it was sick. He was going to be sick but he couldn't hold in the laugh this time.  
  
"Jesus Christ!" Someone exclaimed but Tony couldn't tell who. He saw the fingers of the hand on his thigh started tapping that damned rhythm again and he finally realized it was to the tone of her song. The song of his name. His name on the tongue of Death. With that realization, he ceased laughing but he was still strangely calm with rage boiling in his every vein.  
  
"Boss! Your vitals are going haywire! You need medical assistance immediately. You're going into cardiac arrest. I've calle-" he was aware that Friday was still talking to him, still saying something probably important but he could barely hear her as he saw a beautiful grey gown from the edge of his peripheral vision.  
  
He looked up at Lady Death with that infuriating calmness about him and she grinned back at him. Her mouth didn't move but he could hear her sing his name. His fingers tapped away to the beat of the song. Joining her. She followed the movement with unseeing eyes and giggled.  
  
Someone was shaking him hard. He thought it might be Rhodey. He didn't know. He couldn't tell. "What do you want from me?" He didn't know if he was asking the person shaking him or Death.  
  
She giggled again still singing and started skipping around the room. She kept her distance from everyone though choosing to jump between and around them instead. Everyone was standing. Everyone but him. He didn't know how he knew that but he did.  
  
'Reverential Merchant of Mine' he heard a voice that was similar to hers but resonated harder and nearly shattered every cell in his body. He must be in excruciating pain, he observed distantly, but he didn't feel anything expect for the strange calmness engulfing him. She wasn’t singing his name anymore. She was addressing him directly.  
  
'You shall burn brighter than the most dazzling of Stars' She vowed, and ducked down to hid behind Vision still not touching him.  
  
'Your skin shall be set ablaze with Power beyond this Realm and all its Glory' she jumped up and spun around in the most elegant pirouette that Tony has ever seen, landing behind the Witch.  
  
'You shall bring Your Mistress what she longs for and desires' She commanded harshly with a pleased smile on her face.  
  
'And She shall intertwine Your Soul within her Essence' she stopped right beside Steve who was staring back at him, frozen in his spot. She raised her hand to take his but Tony choked out "Don't! Don't touch him!" He was still calm but he was shouting. He didn't know how he could do both at the same time but he did and for some reason it didn’t confuse him. She let her hand drop but her grin didn't. Tony saw Steve jerk sharply to his right, tripping on his own feet in his haste to get away from something that only Tony could see. Thor snatched his arm and shoved him back, slashing at thin air with Mjolnïr. But Death had already moved on and was now jumping up gracefully on the table.  
  
'And set you free on a Glorious journey to be her Immortal Companion' She continued as if not interrupted.  
  
'You shall be Death's everlasting Shadow' She sat down in front of him and dangled her bare feet in his lap. He felt a force far beyond the strength of Mjolnïr or anything imaginable ground him to his spot. She leaned forward and pressed cold lips to his feverish forehead.  
  
'And you shall know pain No More, My Child' He closed his eyes against the sensation and with it she was gone. He let out a gasp and opened his eyes again just in time to see a fist flying in his direction.  
  
His hand flew up to intercept it inches away from his jaw. He stared at the fist in his hand and then at the face that was attached to the end of it. "What the hell, Barton!"  
  
Clint stared back wide eyed. "You were gone, man. Brain recalibration worked once on me so why not?" He shrugged but he still had that wild look in his eyes.  
  
"Punching me is not the answer." Tony grouched out but there was no real heat behind the words. He would have done the same if the roles were reversed. He saw that Dr. Cho was there. He didn't know when she arrived but he thinks Friday had a hand in it. When he locked eyes with hers, it seemed to spur her into action. She was suddenly by his side with a stethoscope being planted on his chest.  
  
"Take a deep breath" she instructed.  
  
"I'm fine." He assured her  
  
"Take a deep breath, Mr. Stark." She glared at him. She looked terrified but her hands were steady as they rested on his chest.  
  
He indulged her with one deep breath before saying, "I really am fine." He rubbed at his beard. "It doesn't leave lasting effects." He gave her a quick smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Not my first rodeo, Dr. Cho."  
  
"Alright, what the hell was that?" Rhodey asked "because Friday declared you dead for a whole minute here, okay. That- What is that?"  
  
"I don't know." Tony confessed still reeling from what he saw. He realized blatantly that he could still feel her kiss. His finger traced over the spot she kissed but it didn't feel cool to the touch.  
  
"Do you have a headache? Is your head hurting in anyway?" Dr. Cho asked.  
  
Tony shook his head. "She kissed me." He confused. He let his hand drop and was beyond irritated when he started to tap his fingers against his thigh again. He ignored it. "She danced around the room, told me a poem, kissed me and then disappeared."  
  
"I hate to be the one to ask but she is.. " Rhodey inquired.  
  
"Death." With her name the strange trance of calmness returned. "Lady Death." From the corner of his eye he saw movement and he jerked his head in its direction but saw nothing.  
  
"Tony? You with us?" Steve asked, his voice strained.  
  
Tony nodded. He swallowed slowly. "Yeah, I think she can hear her name. She knows when I'm talking about her."  
  
"Alright. I think this meeting is adjourned." He heard a shrilled voice to his left and saw Depraki standing behind Natasha who was covering her with her own body in the corner of the room. She swallowed when she realized that the attention of everyone was on her but she powered through. "I have everything I need to build a case." She cleared her throat as she moved over to the table and with trembling hands gathered her belongings. "I'll let you know if I need anything else." She practically fled the room. Natasha followed her. Probably to make sure she's didn't crash from the shock she's in and brain herself or something. There was still so much more to discuss. Depraki didn't have everything she needed, Tony pointed out in his head.  
  
The fingers of the other hand join in in the tapping.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Bruce asked and Tony followed his field of vision and it fell on his hands.  
  
"I'm not doing it." He snarled immediately, the response being snatched from his throat. He took a surprised breath at the outburst and tried to explain calmer this time. "It's to the beat of the song. Her song. Of my name." He sighed and let his head hang. "My fingers don't want to stop." He glared at them and that seemed to break the spell for some reason because suddenly he wasn't tapping again. "Or they do" he said confused. He used both hands to pull on his hair. "Goddammit" he groaned.  
  
"We'll figure this out" Steve said determined.  
  
"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Tony glared at him because if he said 'together' Tony might actually fire a repulsor at his face this time.  
  
"I don't know but we will because the alternative is not acceptable."  
  
And Tony couldn't help but agree with him. He knew that the Witch's vision set something loose in his brain that didn't quite fit back right but at least the others believe him now. However with their help or not he vowed, even if it's the last thing he does, he'll make sure humanity is saved and his destiny does not come to pass. He will be more careful about it this time. No Murderbots at least.


End file.
